Cynder's Life
by CheetahDragon
Summary: A story of how Cynder grew up in a brutal world, tormented by the apes, and became the monster Spyro fought.
1. Beginning

A small snowflake drifted downwards, twisting and spiraling until it ended its journey, landing on the cold stone ground. Twisting upwards was a large rock formation, rising out of the rifts and valleys of the area. Down its stone sides came thick green lava, slowly making its way into small carved pools, thick with the bubbling liquid. Crystals and statues adorned the mountain; a large forbidding dragon's face was carved out of the rock to hiss at intruders. Small snow drifts piled off to the sides to make way for a pathway, leading to a door. This is the Well of Souls.

From within the huge formation, a young dragon sleeps. She knows nothing of her fate. She knows nothing of being different, or powerful. She does not know of evil. All she knows is the scents of her small world; the only bad thing was being cold half of the time. So she can sleep with this knowledge for now, but she will learn. Eventually.

"Where are we going?" a small black dragoness bounded excitedly after a large furry animal, one she had no name for. Two small budding horns on her head were illuminated in the eerie light. Her small claws clicked on the floor, and her jet black scales glinted. Two tiny wings moved with her on either side. The creature made a grunt sound. "What's that mean?" she asked, puzzled. She never seemed to understand the big things. It grunted again, more annoyed now. She decided to keep her mouth shut, as the things didn't have good tempers. She shuddered at the memory of being thrown brutishly at the wall for crying. She didn't cry often. She had decided that once you started to cry, it seemed like you could never stop. So she padded after the creature, feeling confused.

Sometimes it went so fast she had to run to keep up. Finally, it stopped at a stone door. It took something from its armor and began to try to open the door. She cocked her head, watching with interest. Finally, it stopped and wrenched open the door. It kicked her inside; she let out a high pitched cry as she went tumbling into the room.

She heard a low growl, and then saw a giant creature stand up and begin to walk towards her. "Hello, Whelping. I am Gaul, king of the Apes." It was massive, a dirty grey color that blended in with the rest of the room. She tried to get to her paws to run. This thing…. It didn't seem right. It picked her up and inspected her. "You are a female shadow dragon, then? Very well. Master will be pleased." She tried to squirm out of his grip, squeaking in terror. "Let me go!" she cried, looking away at his crooked grin. "So you can speak, eh? Don't consider yourself special." He dropped her to the floor. A shooting pain spread through her, and she squealed and tried to crawl away. Never before had she been so frightened, and now she just wanted to escape. But to were? This was the only place she had ever known. Gaul picked her up again, then snatched a long staff and began to walk toward a large hole in the ground. An evil grin was suddenly painted on his face, and he pointed the staff at the matching hole in the ceiling. A bright flash of purple light shot out, engulfing the room with a dark, tense scent. The hatchling shivered, knowing there was no escape.

**That's all I have for now ~ This is my first story on here, so if you liked it please review :)**


	2. The Meeting

**Hello again! ^^ It's short once more, (actually shorter) but I promise next update will be much longer. **** thanks for your reviews, I always appreciate them :3 **

Coldness swept over her, and suddenly she felt like she was falling, falling into nothing. It was the worst feeling she had ever experienced, and as she tried to claw her way back, she lost all feeling. Like a black blanket had muted her from everything. Her eyes were forced open, and all she could see was rocky, flat land going on forever. The sky seemed unreal, a swirling mass made up of different shades of purple. She sat up, inspecting her surroundings. As she tried to walk, a dark sense of forbidding seemed to take over.

"Hello, Cynder. Welcome to Nothing."

The voice boomed across the barren land, oddly echo-like and frightening at the same time. She whirled around, facing a terrible creature. It was larger than any creature she had laid eyes on, even larger than Gaul. Its purple scales looked thick and strong, tough enough to withstand anything. Its massive wings raised over its body, ripped in places on the membrane. At the top of these were huge daggers, sharp and menacing. Its tail tip was fierce, the blade ready to slice anything apart. But the main feature that terrified her the most was its eyes. Yellow pools filled with hatred, they stared straight into her and sent shivers down her spine.

"I am Malefor, master of darkness. You are here because fate has chosen you to help me." he leaned forward, his eyes glowing. But she choose not to be frightened by him. _"Fear is simply a state of mind_." She reminded herself. "And what exactly do you mean?" she asked. But she couldn't help that her voice sounded weak. Malefor grinned, his fangs ready to rip her to shreds. "Long ago, I was trained by the ancients. But I, being a purple dragon, thought their lessons easy. I needed more. I taught myself the dark arts. Soon I grew to be more powerful then them. They, jealous of my powers, banished me." The dragoness stared at him, still confused. "So? You're not telling me _why _you need me to help you. If…if you're so powerful, can't you help yourself?" She stuttered on her words, realizing Malefor was growing angry. "No… In due time you will understand the full meaning of my words." She gaped, backing up as he began to fade. "You should listen, Cynder. You belong to me." The last thing that disappeared was his eyes, still glaring for a second before completely vanishing.

The ground began to break apart, a huge crack zigzagging across the rock. She gasped, trying to run. It was too late, however, as the blackness swallowed her up. The same feeling returned, falling farther and farther. She woke up with a gasp, on a cold stone floor. She looked up, staring at Gaul sitting a few feet away.

"How was your meeting with the Dark Master, dragon?" He got to his feet and walked closer. "If you are truly ready, he would give you a name and explain your purpose."

She picked herself up, still shaking from the earthquake. Gaul was standing over her, his bad breath spilling out of his gaping mouth. She crawled away from him and fell to the floor, exhausted. "Yea, he gave me a name. I'm Cynder."


	3. A New Darkness

**This is longer than the other chapters ^^ I'll try to get a chapter in every day or so, remind me if I don't but please be aware I don't have too much free time haha ~**

Gaul nodded. "So, Cynder, eh? Well, Cynder, you must be ready." The dragoness stared at him, more confused than ever. Gaul headed toward an array of weapons and potions, he shifted through them quickly. When he appeared to find the correct one, he grunted.

"Follow me." He headed toward the door, easily pushing it aside without a key.

Cynder hopped after him. For some reason, her stomach was twisting in fear.

They walked down the hallway for at least ten minutes. The green fire and blue crystals that lighted the path clashed oddly and created strange shadows on the wall. Cynder couldn't help but notice it got darker as they walked along. Finally, they reached a wide open archway. Inside was a wide room with a raised platform in the center. Dangerous looking weapons hung from the walls. On the platform was a tangled mess of chains.

"What is this!" Cynder cried. She immediately wanted to turn tail and race out of this terrible room. But she was riveted in terror.

She heard Gaul chuckle. "You certainly didn't suppose you could serve the Dark Master in your hatchling state?"

Cynder barely understood Gaul's words. All she knew was that something terrible was about to happen.

Gaul made a sound that Cynder did not understand. Within moments, two apes had appeared in the doorway. In seconds they had Cynder pushed against the ground, gasping for air. They pulled her across the floor. She kicked out, squealing, but it was no use. They soon had her chained to the platform. A loose fitting necklace, two bracelets, and two tail bracelets now contained her from escaping.

"What…what are you going to do?" She whispered. Gaul dismissed the apes, and then walked forward, the evil grin returning.

"Nothing much. Just make sure you stay still."

With one fluent movement he grabbed a different staff from the row of weapons. This one had a glittering red gem affixed to the top. He let the potion he had taken from his room dissolve into the gem, turning it to ebony. He pointed it directly at Cynder. She closed her eyes, fearing the worst.

A black flash shrouded the room in shadow. All Cynder could feel was a terrible, searing pain thorough her whole body. Her blood was burning, everything was twisting… She screamed and hit the platform floor, writhing in pain. Gaul continued to surge the dark magic into the feeble hatchling.

Her body began to curl and lengthen. Her tail shot outwards, the loose braces tightening. Her tail blade grew into a sharp, formidable weapon. Her stubby horns grew, their points sharper then knives. Her claws curled, ready to rip her opponents apart. Her wings enlarged and tore, the fast transformation too much for the membranes. Her neck turned long and snake-like. Her eyes, once a calm emerald, narrowed into blood-red slits filled with rage.

It was over. Gaul stepped forward, the grin on his face disappeared as Cynder turned to glare at him. "You…" She roared and lunged at him. Gaul sidestepped her, but she spun right away. Gaul whipped out the staff, blasting her back.

"Calm down, crazy dragon! We're on the same side!" he yelled angrily. It was unusual for the dragoness to take on such a menacing attitude in such a short amount of time. She snarled. "It doesn't matter. I'll never forgive you for what you've done to me! I'm not a tiny little dragon anymore!" She whipped her tail at him, the tail blade just inches from his terrified face. "We may both serve the Dark Master, but I am stronger than you now. _You_ will serve _me!_" Cynder roared, rearing on her hind legs. Gaul snarled. "Never!" Cynder slashed her long claws just inches from his ugly face. "Then I'll just kill you." She hissed, her eyes burning with hatred.

She felt fear race through her body, and saw the vibrant eyes of Malefor. "Do not kill Gaul. He is part of your quest. His fate is intertwined with yours." Cynder growled, trying to rip the image from her head. She rose into the air, her ripped wings supporting her. "You're one lucky bastard, Gaul." She snarled.

She tore easily away from her chains, and then through the weak ceiling. She felt the cool outside air welcome her. Once far away from the mountain, she circled the other large rocks. Snow drifted down softly and soothed her burning scales. The feeling of the air was amazing. She wanted to fly forever and ever, but she knew in the back of her head she could not escape her fate. Tearing herself away from the peace, she returned to the god-forsaken place of her birth.

Gaul was awaiting her in his throne room. "Back so soon, Cynder?" he hissed, false concern coating his words. "Shut up, Gaul. The only reason I didn't kill you was our "master" pissing me off through a vision." She retorted.

She would forever be a rebel. No one would dare challenge her, she decided. If they ever tried, they would be struck down. No one would try to contain her. And no one would ever try to control her. The feeling of power that now raced through her veins was exhilarating, and she wanted more. She now knew the definition of evil.


	4. Realization

**Sorry I didn't have this up sooner ~ Hope you all had a nice Halloween! :3**

Light didn't wake up Cynder that morning. She was on her paws, her stomach twisting in pain and hunger. She cursed under her breath as she headed outside; her stomach was now growling terribly. "Shut up!" she hissed, beginning the long accent to the top. She spread her wings and launched herself across the sky, the chilly air caressing her body. "And where the hell will I get food?" she realized after circling the mountain several times.

She swooped low, her thin body just inches from the ground. Up ahead was something brown, she twisted around it, making sure it couldn't escape. Before it even realized what happened, she had it pinned against the rock, kicking out in fear. It let out a cry of terror, looking down she saw a small creature curled into a ball. A terrible cry soon echoed across the land, followed by a couple angry screeches. Then silence. The thin air held tension for a split second, and then seemed to release it. The gruesome sound of tearing and flesh hitting the ground frightened several animals away.

But one animal came closer.

Cynder was too absorbed in her first hunt to notice the thing growing ever closer. When she finally stopped to observe her surroundings, the creature leapt from the shadows. With a loud battle cry the animal had leapt on Cynder's back. Cynder's head whirled around to face her attacker, blood dripping from her muzzle. She saw white and gray fur in a blur in front of her, but only when she had managed to flip the thing off of her and pin it to the icy ground was she able to make it out. It had cold chips of blue ice for eyes and its fur was indeed a mixture of white and gray, but only upon further inspection could she see the array of darker gray spots. Its fur was downy and perfect for the cold weather; she calculated it must live up in the mountains. Its paws and tail were also fluffier than expected, the tail wrapped and insulated and the paw pads personal snowshoes.

The cat of the mountains. The mighty Snow Leopard.

Cynder wanted to laugh. Though the answer came to her immediately, this was her first encounter with one. The creature was growling to itself and only when she turned her attention to it did it begin to speak.

"You reek of the Darkness. Though you have the strength to hurt me now, inside yourself is nothing. You fight not for honor nor pride, and you have no control over yourself. You are the Dark One's puppet."

Though what the snow leopard said was true, it enraged Cynder. She flung herself off of the cat, head hung. "You…you know NOTHING about me!" With a mighty roar, she raced forward just as the feline got to its paws.

Cynder was still hungry, but wanted nothing more than to get out of that place. As she flew toward the mountain, tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why…why am I crying?" she asked herself, feeling a shiver run through her body. "Because you are weak." She thought back fiercely.

Nothing made much sense. She felt unwanted and all alone. Instead of returning "home" to be sneered at by a bunch of fleabags, she landed in a deserted clearing. Mountains rose up on all sides, protecting her from outside forces. For the first time, she felt as if she belonged. But after considering this she found that this meant she was destined to live a life of loneliness.

After thinking about the snow leopard, and the look on his face before he died, Cynder curled up and feel asleep. In her dream, she was still a hatchling. She was standing in the middle of a rocky platform, odd creatures drifting past her. Stars and planets surrounded her, giving off glows and colors that mashed together somehow prettily. The place was beautiful, but frightening too. Every so often she heard a whisper calling her name in an alien voice, drifting across the atmosphere. She heard more odd noises, most coming from the creatures around her. Her dream fell apart, and she began to see faces in the mix, that of Gaul, of the leopard, and of Malefor. Finally one face came into the void, one she could not recognize. This face was blue and yellow, a male dragon that looked oddly excited. The unusual voice lashed out across the nothing. Its one request, oddly feeble, whispered out to her.

"Find the electricity guardian, Cynder. Bring him to _this"_

And then she saw the island of ice, the rigid fortress that was Dante's Freezer.

**That's all for now 8D Tell me if you think it's alright for me to bring in normal animals (like the snow leopard) into the story. If I do, I'll also include the ones in the Spyro universe :3 **

**I'll also spend time on each "level" of the story, so the first one might be pretty long fff.**

**K, so that's about it ~ Sorry this ones kind of short D:**


	5. Coming of Age

**Ugh this is long overdue what I expected… D: My computer wasn't working for a while xD  
**

Cynder woke with a start, visibly upset over the dream. She groaned as she got up, shaking a little. She looked to the sky; it was now black with night, splintered with stars. Cynder leaped the face of a small cliff in a few long bounds, then stretched her tired wings and dived into the blackness. Swooping back upwards, she zoomed through the silent night air.

As she headed back to the Well of Souls, a soft snow began, drifting through the darkness. Although Cynder hated being cold, the snow comforted her in its odd quiet way, reminding her that everything was going to be fine. Or so she hoped.

The mountain was easily recognizable from the others, even at night, not only because of the glowing green lava scaling its sides, but because of the reek of the darkness and power coming from within. If anything, Cynder would be considered brave just to come close.

She padded through the dank hallways until she reached the small cavern she called her own. She had decorated it with a few things she had either taken from the apes or found around the mountain. A stone shelf covering one wall had an array of different things, from impressive, glittering gems to exotic looking feathers to animal bones in glass jars.

Most of the gems she had taken from Gaul.

Cynder curled up in the corner of the room, staring blankly at the dark window opposite her. Why did everything have to be so complicated? She snorted to herself, thinking about the dream. If they even thought for a second she would capture some _electricity guardian_ they were out of their minds. Of course, if she got rewarded for it in some way, perhaps she'd do it. _Perhaps._

She heard a loud screech come from somewhere outside the stone door. _"Someone in pain? Perfect." _She slid to the door and peeked out, but the green fire burned and crackled in their goblets and the rest of the hallway was silent.

She hurried down the tunnel, leaving her door open just a crack. She was aware of the fact that no ape would dare take something from there, let alone go inside. She kept track of all her items, and would immediately know if some stupid ape took her things.

And then she'd destroy everything she could touch until they gave it up.

She smirked as she found her victim; a small solider ape backed up against the stone wall, corned by three leaders. This would be fun.

"And what, may I ask, is going on here?" she purred, slipping out of the shadows and approaching them. She smiled, false sugar coating her words. She watched the surprise on their faces turn to fear, and the fear turn to terror as she slid closer.

"You know, I do love some violence once in a while, but _I _have to be the one causing it."

At these words one leader tried to run. With a hiss, she turned from nice to vicious, leaping towards him and tearing him apart with her claws. _"Don't you try to run from me."_ She saw with a devious glimmer in her eyes the way he slashed open and the way he hit the floor. He was dead before he could scream, something Cynder prided herself on.

"Now, lets all cooperate with Cynder and you won't end up like _him."_

She said the word with a little disgust, as if it was something to be forgotten. It didn't matter. Cynder was capable of forgetting lots of things. And she wanted to forget how she had cried and how she had acted weak, when she knew Malefor was listening.

It would not happen again.

The ape solider had scurried away, but she saw this and allowed him to go. After all, he would die in some other battle and the leaders would probably be more fun.

Cynder walked back to her room, pleased with herself. She laughed at things that were mere memories now, and she laughed at the fact that being pathetic and fragile was something that apes possessed, and she was no ape.

And then she sprawled out on the floor and thought of how sick and twisted it was to kill those creatures, even if they were terrible and corrupted inside.

And she could not decide which was better.

The next morning Cynder felt no better than before. She was pissed, snarling at each ape that she passed. She kept thinking of her dream, wondering about the simple fact that continued to pass through her mind.

_Do I have to prove myself to the Dark Master by capturing this dragon?_

Although she didn't want to do anything for anyone, if Malefor saw that she did not complete this task, she may as well be feeble and weak in his eyes.

And so she spent the day flying to distant lands, gathering information for the hunt. Gaul said nothing of her constant comings and goings, and when she set off again a faint smile lit up his features.

Cynder felt the air began to differ in temperature as she flew, something she had grown quite used to by now. It grew slightly warmer than the bitter cold of the Well of Souls, but brought no warmth to Cynder. This was just fine to her.

She was not going anywhere in particular, and most of this was just an excuse to fly. But she saw an island in the distance, one far out past the ocean, shrouded by a white mist. This immediately sparked interest in Cynder, and she set her destination for the island.

By the time she got there, the sun was already going down, but there was no sunset. Instead, the sky swirled with blue and white, gray clouds sparking purple lighting down on the land.

Somehow that made Cynder find it all the more beautiful.

The clear set landscape was nearly perfect. Blue and purple crystals grew from the white sand, black rocks and cliffs created little "steps" in the ground. A few dark mountains in the distance completed the place. Now all it needed was a building. A lair.

Cynder landed, grinning to herself at such a find. "Where are those apes when you need them? It's time for them to stop being lazy and start working."

"After all," she muttered, setting off to gather some apes, "They need to be ready."

In a few weeks time she had forced construction of the land. She oversaw that the structures looked correct, and when they didn't the apes were disciplined.

And while she waited Cynder learned some things. Slowly she learned to gain control of two elements. One, brought upon her by the darkness, was fire. This was especially useful when it came to fighting and attacking. The second, one more taken by nature, was wind. Cynder realized this was the reason she loved to fly and liked the snow.

Cynder practiced by herself nearly everyday, keeping in mind that if she didn't she would be weak. She was aware of the electricity guardians capture, but she willed herself that she could do it in time.

Everything would be done in time.

**That's it, yay~ Reviews, please? :D Anything I could fix? **


	6. Lost

Cynder lay down on the clean new tiles, her tail flicking gently back and forth. Her eyes flickered from time to time, but they were far away, lost in thought. At the time they were turquoise, they changed to a blazing yellow when she was enraged, and then a scarlet red when she was really pissed off. But, for now, they were the light tint of green they always had been, and they were clouded and stared into nothing.

She raised her head at the sound of footsteps and continued to stare as a large leader ape appeared, bowing down to her. "Cynder I...I have something to report." Cynder closed her eyes for a long moment and reopened them, glaring at the ape with newfound hate.

"Yes?" For what seemed like hours they faced each other, one terrified and the other simply annoyed.

"We have started construction on Mutinous Forge, and…and Gaul wants you to…um…be present."

Cynder growled. "Very well. Now, out of my sight! I have things to do." The ape scurried back down the elevator shaft, leaving Cynder to think.

She set off from her private island (Which she had been told was "Concurrent Skies") and flew towards a small group of Dreadwings in the air ahead of her. "Hey you!" she roared, racing after them. One ape rider looked back, and then swerved around to fly beside her. "Where are you going?" she asked, staring straight at the ape.

"Mutinous Forge, Cynder."

She nodded, barely registering anything else, except the task at hand. "Good. I need to be there today. I'm going to follow you, but don't expect me to help you or anything if you need it." She turned around, flying a good 3 meters away until she felt right.

She followed the Dreadwings, the air growing warmer by the second. She let the hot air move over her scales, but it did not soothe her as the cold air did. She watched the Dreadwings dive downwards and land, and she guessed they were there.

_Lets make an entrance._

She let out a burst of flame, one she had been perfecting for weeks. It hit the air, sucking the weak amount of oxygen out, lunging forward hungrily. Although it was like fire, hot like fire and alive, it was powerful and dark. It had shadows flickering through it, burning tongues of flame that slashed through the sky. And the heat was radiating around Cynder, scorching her though she never noticed.

Cynder was screeching, roaring along with the fire. The apes shuddered below, some cowered, but most just stared up in power-hungry wonder.

Cynder ended her flare-up of dark fire. She circled the odd little clearing, trying to make sense of the wasteland of lava. Odd machines were at work, drilling the ground and shifting through the lava. Some was being dumped into the steaming ocean, causing a build up of igneous rocks on the shore. The sand was black with ash, and she had a slight worry to land, but threw it away.

Why be afraid of sand? She wasn't afraid of anything else, anyway.

Most apes barely moved when she touched the ground. Some shivered in their singed pelts; some stared at her in fear. The huge looming volcano in the distance exploded and rumbled and threw up a storm of angry lava, and her silhouette was outlined in front of it, long and thin and treacherous.

She turned her head to the nearest ape, which quickly whimpered and scooted back. "Hmm…scared, of me, huh? Well, guess what." The ape leaned forward a little, eyes wide.

"**You should be!" **

The ape screamed and leaped back, running away at her sudden outburst. She chuckled, turning to the rest.

"That's right!" she cried, rising on her hind legs. "You should all be afraid of me!"

With that, she raised her head up and let loose another flame, her shriek echoing through the whole land. Somewhere amongst the apes, one began to spread the word.

"She's the Queen of the Darkness, that retched beast. She'll be the end of us all."

Cynder was probably okay with that idea.

She looked around at the remaining apes, proud of the ones that had stayed, ones that were strong enough for Cynder to be around. The ones that had run, on the other hand, they were weak.

Just a trait that made Cynder despise them.

She walked away, her lungs already thick with the smoky haze that encircled this retched place. She almost felt bad for the apes that had to work and live here.

_Almost._

For now, all she wanted was to get back to Concurrent Skies and dance among the clouds there. Such fantasies were soon crushed at the low grunt that came behind her.

"Cynder. Such a pleasure to meet you at last."

She whirled around and hissed at a large commander ape that was now walking up to her.

"Nice entry, might I add."

She glowered at him, and then snorted. "What do you want? Did Gaul send you to show me around?"

"Actually, he did. We're to talk of the weapon building here and the war that is to come."

The war. Cynder hadn't thought the Dark Master would start a war.

_Great._

"Fine. Let's go talk somewhere else, then." She narrowed her eyes at the curious crowd of apes watching them.

She followed the big orange ape up a steel track that lead into a long tunnel. She could smell the burning coals, the lava and fire, and the cinders that developed thick in the air around them.

She forced herself to breath, even though the air tasted awful. Being a dragon, and especially a fire dragon, it didn't bother her too much. But it was still vile.

The ape appeared used to the atmosphere, because he deeply inhaled in. Then he turned to Cynder.

"Mutinous Forge is a place where we use the lava to make weaponry and machinery. Of course, the reason behind this is the coming war. The plan we have is for you to capture the dragon guardians, and we destroy the dragon race."

Cynder paused, and then got to her paws. "Of course, Gaul didn't tell you the _whole _plan. But I don't need to tell you, and I also don't want you to slow me down. I think I can get around by myself."

Cynder jumped away, propelling herself forward, flatting her wings against her body. She felt the hot air hit her and soon everything turned to a blur.

She heard the angry cry of the ape behind her, but she blocked that out and decided to have a little fun.

First obstacle. A wooden door, boarded up. A badly painted sign, "KEEP OUT!" Cynder lowered her head and rammed into it, the wood splintering into pieces as she leaped past.

Cynder didn't mind that she barely had any idea where this path would lead. Hopefully to an exit.

An ape that was trying to fix a steel axe screamed at her sudden arrival through some more doors. She leaped down and easily, almost effortlessly, sprinted toward him and at the last moment bounded over him and charged through another tunnel.

She laughed at the terrified look that had been planted on his face as she raced straight toward him. She had never before felt so happy, running through the mine, feeling _free. _

It was almost like flying, flying very fast and having joy spread through your veins. As she burst out into a small clearing of lava pools and axe miners, she leaped forward and stretched her wings. She did a twist through the air and dived down to grin at a horrified ape.

As she came back up she was greeted by a couple Dreadwings that quickly scattered as she darted through.

She came outside and fanned outwards to the edge of the volcano, twisted around to stare in awe at the magma. She felt like a young dragon, watching it burn and hiss inside the volcano.

"Magnificent, isn't it Cynder?"

She turned around and saw someone watching her, someone that had wings too.

"Who…who are you?" she whimpered. This creature made her feel small, a tiny hatchling again, being chained to the platform by the apes.

"It probably doesn't matter to you. What I want to know is, who are you?"

Cynder shuddered. The deep purple eyes bored deep into her. _Like Malefor's eyes. _Something stirred inside, and she shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know anymore."

She couldn't help but notice, the creature seemed to grin. "Are you sure? You seem to know who you are to me."

Three personality changes in one day. From the dark, irritated, menacing Cynder, to the cheerful, pleasant, carefree Cynder, to the terrified, uncertain, hopeless Cynder she was now.

"I have no idea… who I am." She whispered, "Or who I was…"

The creature moved closer to her. It smelled familiar, it smelled like home. But it also smelt like fear and darkness.

"Find yourself…before its too late..." it mumbled, its voice drifting until she realized it was no longer there.

Cynder stayed there, suspended by the volcano. Her face was unreadable. All joy that had once been there was gone now.

She didn't cry. Crying was a sign of weakness. Cynder was a lot of things, but she wasn't weak.

Finding herself was useless now. She was already lost, and she doubted she could be found.

And she didn't want to be.

**That chapter was kinda odd. Had to make sure it made sense… but it still doesn't xD I like it though. Whatever :P**


	7. New Face

Pale faces drifted through the mist, reminding Cynder of something deep inside. Some faces she recognized, others were distant and odd, but most were nothing more than wisps of smoke, disappearing before Cynder could catch a glimpse...

She woke with her eyes wide, the dream still fresh in her mind. She had been having the weirdest dreams lately, especially after the volcano illusion. After that day, Cynder preferred to stay away from Mutinous Forge.

She slowly descended from the top tower, the groggy fog still wavering over the ground. It was still early, but Cynder liked it that way. There was no one around to bother her.

Cynder reached the bottom and let her claws sink into the pure white sand. She closed her eyes and listened, her morning routine these days. Something faint and out of place, she noted. It came from far away but bothered her immensely, perhaps because she had never heard anything but the grunts of waking apes and the lap of waves on the sand by the beach.

She let her senses move over the land, her sense of sight and smell being the strongest. A new smell, mixing with the tang of the sea, came to her and she growled. Before she even thought it over she was racing like a jet toward the smell.

A small, agile-looking dragoness, probably no older than a hatchling, was gently nosing among the sand and rocks of the shore. She looked up, acknowledged Cynder with a nod, and continued her browsing.

Cynder didn't like this.

She landed and stared at the new dragon, probably a foot smaller than her. The tiny dragoness looked up and stared at Cynder, as if she was seeing the sun for the first time.

"Who are you? Why did you come here? What do you think you're doing?"

The dragoness sat, and then glared down at the sand. "I'm lost." She responded flatly, looking back up at the huge shadow that was Cynder. "And who are you?"

Cynder shook her head. "You didn't answer all the questions, little one." She lowered her head until she was eye level with the dragoness. Something deep inside told her to care for the hatchling, another part, more dominant, screamed to kill it when she had the chance.

The creature backed up a little in fear, than shut her big blue eyes and sighed. "I'm not allowed to tell you anything. I can't trust you."

Cynder growled, and then realized it was scaring the hatchling. For a second she struggled about what to do, and then she picked the dragoness up and rose into the air. When they came closer to Cynder's lair, she began to writhe about in Cynder's mouth.

"Hold still, stupid thing!" she muttered, "Were almost there." She wanted nothing to do with this creature and even thought of letting go. But now the other part of her came rushing forward and screamed, "NO! You can't do that."

"Let me go!" the hatchling screamed, "That place is bad!"

For a second, Cynder was swathed in her own memories of being held by Gaul and dragged into the terrible darkness. Was this dragoness feeling the same?

No. It's not the same. I'm not Gaul, she's not me.

Cynder landed at the top of the tower and dropped the little one lightly on the floor. She crawled to her paws and looked Cynder over.

"Whats wrong? Are you afraid?" Cynder sneered.

She jumped back and stared at her paws. "Of course. You're scary. I can admit that, I guess."

Cynder looked away, at the gray clouds collecting on the horizon. The occasional flash of lightning told Cynder there was a storm coming.

Now, once again, the electricity guardian would have to wait.

"Well, um… what's your name?"

The voice surprised her out of her daze, and she looked back at the little blue dragoness.

"Me? I'm Cynder. That's not important of course…"

"Yea it is! Names are important. Too bad I never got one."

Cynder inspected her again, now staring at the ground with sadness. What did this little creature want from her?

"Don't expect me to give you a name. That's not my job, nor is caring for you…"

The sound of an ape, breathing heavily behind her, startled her out of her talk.

"Mistress Cynder, we have a situation…"

**Yay! I'm not dead! This makes up for the last faulty chapter, yes? :D I left you on a cliff hanger hehe…. **


	8. The Battle Begins

Cynder turned around to face the ape. The cold wind was already stirring and Cynder could feel it whipping against the sides of the tower. "Yes? spit it out, I don't have all day." she growled. The ape's beady eyes wided and he managed to gasp out, "Gaul's forces are attempting to attack a dragon city off the coast of the mainland and they want you there. They say the guardians are there fighting and now is a good opportunity for you to take...' He didn't finish his sentence, however, as a huge bolt of lighting came crashing down nearby. The ape staggered backwards and nearly fell off the side of the tower. The little blue drangoness came racing forward and grabbed on to his white fur, with an enormous heave she pulled him backwards. "Are you OK?" she asked, with her aqua blue eyes filled with concern. Cynder snarled, "Why, for all you knew that ape could be the enemy! You need to learn not to be so _nice!_" she leaned down to glare at the dragoness. The ape, meanwhile, was so shocked he started to grin, "Thank you," but Cynder turned on him with rage "Leave! No need for thanks! Go deploy the rest of the apes. Now!" The ape scurried away with fear, and jumped down the elevator shaft to spread the news. Meanwhile, the dragoness turned to Cynder with a mixture of fear and anger. "That wasn't nice! He was thanking me for a good deed, and..." But Cynder snatched her up in her jaws and launched herself off the tower, ignoring the little hatching's ranting. Already the skies raged with the anger and intensity of a storm, gray clouds swirling in the dark sky and blue lighting breaking down from the heavens. Cynder was not afraid of the storm, in fact it would make the guardians and the other opposing forces have more trouble then she. She put up an extra boost of speed and circled the tower,the hatching squirming like an electric leech. Cynder was about to crunch the tiny blue creature into a pulp, and then she saw a large group of apes assemble, dreadwings loading with supplies and weapons. Just flying low over the group strengthened her authority over them. Soon she would head to the battle field and capture the electric guardian, her mind was already swimming with possible ideas.

The next couple of hours were spent flying to the dragon city, the dragoness hanging pathetically in her mouth. Her plan was simple: Ransom the child to the dragons, who could not possibly miss the chance of saving the creature, and if that didn't work, she would taunt them with the fact no dragons eggs survived her forces. Meanwhile her apes would infiltrate the city, destroying all they could. Right then the dragons would decide to evacuate, but Cynder would still have the poor baby in her clutches, and soon only the guardians would remain. She would ransom the child for the electric guardian, and if they did not wish to accept that, her apes would overtake the guardians, leaving her with the electric guardian. She knew she would have no trouble with the old, frail dragon. Her plan branched off, the child whining it was cold in the back of Cynder's mind.

Cynder was soon lost in evil plans and memories, memories of being terrified and cold and hopelessly lost...

She quickly shoved these silly memories into the depths of her calculating mind. Already the island, large towers constructed by followers of the dragons rising from the cool mist, could be seen. A dreadwing screeched beside her and a rush of adrenaline pushed her mind and body forward, the hatchling whimpering at the bitter wind as it lashed against them. Cynder began to swoop in lower, already she could see Gaul's forces attacking the island. "Go now! I'll be beside you in a moment!" She called to the ape commander, watching her massive assemble put on a burst of speed to reach the city. She hovered in mid-air, the hatchling crying now because of the way Cynder held her, the sharp teeth gently pinching the creatures soft, underdeveloped scales. The dreadwings dived into the buildings and for once Cynder felt as powerful as she could possibly be. The thunder rumbled overhead and a streak of brilliant, burning lightning sparked the ground. It hit one of the tallest towers, which burst into flames. The flames grew larger and larger, enveloping the tower. The crackling heat sent it crashing to the ground. Already her forces were winning. The burning tower was a wonderful sign, a sign that this battle was meant for her to win. She ignored the hatchling and dived as close to the raging sea as she dared, the distance between her and the city closing.

As she reached the land, the small island was already in a disastrous state. War torn, small clusters of huts and woods were set aflame, sending a black, putrid smoke rising into the air, making it difficult for the dragons in the air to breathe. She felt nothing, however, as the smoke filled her lungs and tainted her fresh air, the particles that would send a normal dragon into a coughing fit affected her little. She could tell by the way the dragons looked at her, they had no idea whether she was an enemy, here to help destroy, or a ally, coming to help them. The hatchling in her mouth hung in defeat, coughing and crying, the smoke and terror was a bad combination. She landed, closing in on the cluster of terrified dragons a few feet away. One of the dragons eyes landed on her and zeroed in on the poor baby, and the she-dragon snarled.

"My poor baby! What have you done, you evil.."

She crouched, ready to attack, but Cynder swiped her tail forward and across her face. "Don't you dare. I am here to ransom the young one. After all, she was "exploring" my land."\

The mother, along with the others surrounding her, gasped. "What do you want? Are you responsible for this destruction!"

Cynder grinned, her fangs glinting in the roar of the fire. A burning tree branch crashed down nearby, and the dragons backed away in fear. _I never knew my own race could be so feeble. _She lashed her tail back and forth, the blade warning them. "In part, I am responsible. But this is all for a very good reason."

"How could you destroying our homes possibly be for a good reason?"

Cynder ignored the question, and turned to stare at the ruined buildings. "Tell me where the guridians are, or else I kill the child and destroy the whole island."

"You're a monster!"

"I'm not telling her!"

It's their fault! Its them she wants!"

Cynder listened to their responses of outrage, then gently laid the hatchling down. "Tell me, or else I'll kill the child. I have no compassion for it or any of you. I will find the guardians myself if you don't cooperate, and you will all be dead." She turned around, and thunder boomed madly above. "The spirits are with me. You must do as I say.

Of course, this was a lie. But at the moment Cynder would do anything to get the information she needed. It was the way she operated. Finally, one opf the dragons bowed his head and caved in.

"The guardians are protecting our eggs, in the bottom part of the tower. Please don't kill Aquraria!" He sounded desperate, and Cynder hated the weakness. But she had gotten what she had wanted, and that was alright with her. She moved the baby to the dragons, who quickly snatched her up. "If I find that you lied, I will return for the child. And for you all." With that she took to the skies, darkening with night, yet alight with fire and lightning.

If the spirits were on her side, she could care less.

_What is this, like a year late? lmao. Its not even that good. But I found the unfinsheied draft on my computer and got a burst of inspiration... I now promise I will attempt to update. I'm sorry DX  
_


	9. Victory

The hazy scent of smoke filled the air as Cynder landed, the huge tower raised above her threating to collapse. Burning embers flecked down to land on Cynder's scales, the insane heat closing in from all sides. She forced herself through the broken down entryway, peering in to take a look around and make sure the locals hadn't lied. She saw a shape, a large red dragon came into view and stared at her. Shock was evident on his face. This wasn't the dragon she was looking for! With a hiss, she jumped past the large dragon, flicking her tail blade against his thick hide with ease, and inflicting a thin cut that quickly dripped blood. He turned around and cried out, but Cynder had already gotten too far ahead. As she ran, she noticed many dragon eggs on the floor that were in disarray, some crushed, some broken, others perfectly intact but with ashy dust covering them. She could hear the sounds of other dragons around her but she only was looking for the one. As she pounced into a new room she heard the cry of a youngling, with a hiss she tried to pinpoint the creature but the smoke was far too thick. As she hissed in frustration she could hear sounds outside the room.

Suddenly two dragons burst into the room, she reconginzed the red dragon she had wounded and another she reconginzed... but not from today. With excitment she realized it was the elcitrctiy guaridan. The two kept staring at her, the red one seemed to be in total shock. With a snarl she spun around and strecthed out her wings, she quickly became the barrier between them and the still crying hatchling. "I'll let you save the poor, defenseless baby on one condition." She purred, a smile escaping her lips. The two furrowed their brows and the red male rose up. "What is your condition?" he growled, his voice rather deep, and old sounding. Her eyes spoke a challengene, and she looked to the shocked yellow dragon. "Oh, I don't need to say it." They had only a split second to be confused before she pounced, a roar left her mouth as she forced all her anger at the yellow electricticy guaridian. Within seconds the two were in the larger ajoining room, walking in circles around each other. "Volteer!" The red dragon cried out. "No, Igintis, allow me to take on the agressive female. I am quite positively sure my skills highly surpass her own. There is no chance this one could defeat or beat me, or win this fight. In fact I am so sure-" Cynder jumped in once again. "Old man, you talk too much." She growled. Her thin body landed on the thick shoulders of Volteer, her wings strecting for balance as she dug in her sharp claws. Slicing through the skin she met blood, which quickly rose in a spurt to the surface. Volteer screamed, raising on his hind legs he vilolently attempted to get Cynder off. Suddenly his body glowed, an electric current shocking through him and then Cynder, who let out a cry of pain as she was zapped.

She fell off his back, landing in a defeated heap off to the side of their "arena." As she lay in the sidelines, watching Volteer re arrange himself, a voice hissed in her head. "Cynder. Do not lose this fight! If you do, you are WEAK." This voice was a heavy reminder. As she got to her paws, anger seemed to force itself through her body. Volteer had impressed ignitis, who had gone off to help, thinking Cynder was done for. Now the two were alone. Face to face. Cynder screamed in anger and exploded with her perfect flame. It hit Volteer in the face. The suprised dragon cried out as it inveloped his body and he fell to the ground. Finding her chance, the black dragoness ceased her flame and ran forward before he could get up. Her jaws enclosed on his neck. He spat out blood and struggled to force her off, but she sunk in her teeth deeper, sending shivers vibrating through Volteer. He tried his electric shock again, which hit Cynder. But it was considerbly weaker, and she was ready for it. She remained poised over him, the electrcity still surronding them like a blanket. She tasted the dragon's blood, gushing past her fangs and entering her mouth, it was a sweet, tangy taste, and she pressed down harder to get more. Every so often Volteer would throw his head up in an attempt to escape her hold, but they were futile attempts. The electric shock was burning Cynder, singing her body, and making her eyes tear with effort. Suddenly she pulled up, her teeth becoming lose from Volteer's neck and the steady stream of blood ripping upward with her. The shock lasted one more second and seemed to disconnect, Volteer ended it and struggled to his paws. His blood dripped down his neck from the bite wounds, and his eyes were wild and strected, pinpointed on Cynder. She suddenly rose, then slammed her head forward, her horns entering his side. He cried out weakly and hit the ground again, she then tore her horns away from his skin, which ripped off, as he hit the earth. She stared over him, his body splattered with red. His eyes opened slowly, looking up at her, desperate almost. "Please..." She responded by slicing down on him with her tail tip, the blade cutting at his throat. Blood gushed from his mouth as his eyes grew cloudy. "Do not kill the guardian!" The voice growled. She looked down on him again, ending her assulat. It was over. With a mighty heave, she picked up the bloody dragon and exited the tower. Just as she padded away, it crashed down, embers flying wildly and the flames hissing just inches away. She ignored the cries of the dragons when they saw the defeated Volteer and the destroyed tower. She quicky took to the skies, holding up the unconsious dragon as she strected her wide wings. "Here is a lesson for you all! You see the Guardian before you? He was foolish enough to belive he could defeat me! Do you know who I am? I am Cynder. And NO ONE can ever defeat me." She cried out, her voice rich with evil and joy from completing her task. "Soon your petty world will be crushed before your eyes! And there is nothing you can do that can stop it." All the power in the world was suddenly hers. And no one could take it from her. With a joyous grin, she flew off, the yellow dragon hanging pathtically from her paws,much like the blue hatchling.

For one of the first times, Cynder knew. She knew she was no longer weak.

_Sorry this is soo late, and sorry for any errors in spelling or grammar. I'm no longer using Word._


	10. The Land of Ice

Cold.

This was a cold Cynder had never experienced before. The Well of Souls had certainly been cold, but this cold was different. There was no toxic lava to warm you, no fresh meat, no cozy, furry ape pelts.

There was simply cold.

Cynder gazed at the snow, dotted with fresh specks of blood. Yes, Volteer, was his name? Terribly heavy. With a groan, Cynder dropped the unconscious elder to the snow with a splat, turning to inspect the land. Rigid buildings that looked like they had once been quite grand had decomposed into ice structures, covered in snow. Black spikes jutted from the frozen ground. War machines abandoned halfway through battle were frozen as well, but in time. Cynder poked a catapult with a large, spiked ball sitting inside. She leaped back in shock as the catapult was set off, the ball flying through the air, only to land on the opposite side. It exploded into a fiery bomb the minute it touched the snow, leaving a melted patch, complete with black scorch marks.

She would have to watch her step.

Reluctantly, she dragged Volteer back onto her back. Red liquid had pooled in his mouth and dripped from his nostrils. It gushed from the countless wounds Cynder had inflicted, and she could feel it against her scales. Snarling in disgust, she staggered through the snow, coughing up the remains of her previous battle. To her surprise, she coughed up a large clot of blood. She had been injured. And in her glee of victory, she hadn't realized the damage. The flight here had been powered by pure adrenaline.

She had only walked a few feet when she released the guardian, overtaken by a coughing fit. She screeched, trying to rid her throat of blood, but she was choking on it. Her body was burnt, terribly, and she only realized this when she hit the snow. The cold whiteness overtook her, combing with her abused skin. It was scorching. She cried out in pure agony.

How could she have been so stupid? Of course Volteer's electricity would do some damage. She had been so sure she would win; she had ignored the pain, the searing heat of power.

She had been foolish. And now she was paying for it.

She cried out again, thrashing about in the snow. Surely some ape would hear her? She had been visited by a vision, telling her to come here. To Dante's Freezer. This was where she was supposed to drop off Volteer, wasn't it? Then why was nobody here?

Her vision grew cloudy. The pain was numbing, the chill of the snow seeping past her scales, and soon she could barely feel her body. What a pathetic way to die, she thought.

Through bleary vision she saw the lump of yellow that was Volteer, completely motionless. He wasn't supposed to die. Malefor needed him for something. But he was going to die anyway, because Cynder had been foolish.

She couldn't breathe anymore. A pool of blood, warm and yet quickly chilling, was streaming from her mouth. Something inside her was broken. Internally, she was dying. Externally, she was numbing. She vaguely wondered if electricity was the most dangerous element.

Her eyes closed and the world disappeared.

Two blue eyes gazed sadly back at her. In a spurt of anger, she realized they were with pity. She snarled, but it was weak. It sounded like that of a child. She whirled around to inspect herself, and sure enough, she was a hatchling. Why was this form so familiar? It couldn't be...she had forgotten her childhood. It had been so long ago, hadn't it? She was an adult now, after all. Right?

"You're just like me, aren't you?"

She turned back to the pitiful eyes. They had now attached to a blue dragoness. To Cynder's shock, she realized it was the little child she had scavenged and ransomed. Wrongness twisted about in her belly. She wanted to vomit.

The dragoness was older now, beautiful. She stared at Cynder, and all she could see was sadness. Cynder growled. She was supposed to be the adult!

"I'm sorry. I thought you were evil. I guess I was wrong. You aren't evil. There's just evil inside you."

Cynder wanted to scream. She found herself trying to talk, to cry out, but being unable.

"I pity you. You have only known pain and suffering. The only emotions you feel are anger and hatred. Love, you don't even know what it is, do you?" The dragoness signed.

"Your innocence was stolen away without your consent. And I'm sorry."

She faded away. Cynder was gazing into blackness.

Another voice cut through the blackness. It was not a part of it like the blue dragoness had been.

It was taking her away.

"Wake up."

She stirred. Her body was sore.

"Cynder, wake up."

Her eyes flashed open. She registered the chill. That was not something she had missed.

She looked into the beady eyes of a commander ape. His creamy white fur and purple skin amused her. She had never seen such colors on an ape. It was so different from the grey and blue of her home.

"Who are you?" She asked, still slightly bemused.

"Commander Selen, at your service."

"Am I dead?"

He paused, his back turned.

"No."

"Where is the Electricity Guardian? Is he dead?"

The ape turned around.

"When we found you two, you were both alive, but just barely. Shocking, really. My first encounter with the dreaded black dragon and she's half dead."

Cynder snarled a warning.

"Not an answer, smartass."

"Okay, I apologize. We managed to stabilize the big yellow one with some dragon crystals and heal his wounds. Man, you did a number on him; I have to hand it to you, Mistress Cynder. He is now in a stable stasis in the caverns, being guarded over by the Ice King. Gaul has set up the major preparations, but you have to go down there and get something from the yellow dragon."

Cynder frowned.

"What do I have to get from him? I fought him, brought him here, nearly died, what more do you want?"

The ape shrugged.

"Gaul doesn't tell me everything, Mistress."

Cynder pouted, ripping her gaze from the oddly colored commander. Her paws were sore. She flexed them, and they burned in response. Frost bite.

"So, I'm healed?"

The ape raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know of dragon crystals? You are lucky to be a dragon. They help to regain health and magic."

Cynder pondered this quietly. Dragons had a huge advantage over everyone else. No wonder the apes needed her so badly. She frowned as she realized no one had ever told her this.

"I've been lied to, then. They wanted me to suffer."

She couldn't help herself as the sentence turned to a snarl, ripping from her throat and startling the commander. He whirled around, beady eyes wide.

Cynder got up, rising to her full height. She stretched her wings and arched her back, the crack of her spine reverberating in the icy fortress. Towering over the edgy ape, she fixed her cold, cruel gaze on his wrinkled face.

"Tell me what I have to do."

_this is so late omg_

_who even reads this anymore lol_


	11. A Second Guardian

**I'm sorry my attention hasn't been at all focused on this story. I do plan to continue and I greatly appreciate those who continue to enjoy and read my story and those of you who send positive reviews. Although at one point I almost gave up on this, I do want to continue and I have many more ideas planned for future chapters. Thank you for reading! **

Cynder descended down into the ice caves where she had been instructed to go. As she moved downward, it grew more and more chilly, and she shivered. She was still rather weak from her fight, but she felt better, at least. As the cave grew wider, she entered a huge cavern. Icicles hung from the ceiling and grew sharp from the icy ground. As she padded forward, she saw Volteer. He was either asleep or unconscious, she couldn't tell, and his wounds had been healed. He didn't even look as if he had been in a fight. He lay peacefully behind a huge throne constructed of ice. On this throne was a massive humanoid creature, clad in black and red armor, which sat proudly in the chair and appeared to glower at Cynder as she entered.

"State your business here!" The creature roared, his voice sounding as if it came from the depths of a tin can.

"I am Cynder, and Gaul has instructed me to come here. I am the one who brought the Guardian behind you." She stood, her long neck making her nearly eye level to the creature, even though she wasn't even sure if it had eyes.

"Ah, Gaul! The king of those filthy apes! Infiltrating my land and fighting with my warriors!" He appeared to speak by exclusively yelling.

"Um, yes." Cynder twitched her tail uneasily. Was she really sent down to talk to a… thing that wasn't even allied to the apes?

"However, Gaul has promised me a huge reward if I protect this dragon! And Dante's Freezer will remain in my possession!" He laughed, which echoed eerily around the cavern and forced his ancient body to move, the plates of rusted, frozen metal creaking. Cynder would not be surprised if he began to fall apart.

"The deal is that I will make sure no intruders enter my throne room! I will protect the dragon at all costs! My warriors have a temporary alliance with the wretched apes! We will protect Dante's Freezer Together!"

Cynder frowned. Who would come here anyway? No one knew where the dragon Guardian was being held, so why would such serious security be necessary? "And… how long are you required to protect the dragon?" She was curious as to what the dragon's purpose would even be, and why would he need protection? What was his use?

The Ice King guffawed again, this time longer than before. "Gaul, that ape mongrel, has relayed some terrific information to me! You must take the energy force from this dragon!"

Energy force? How would she even begin to do that?

"Here, come closer." The lack of exclamation in the King's speech surprised her, and she moved closer to his creaking form. He pulled from his armor a crystal, from which Cynder could sense a great pulling force. The crystal was clear and transparent, and attached to the top was a handle adorned with gold, which appeared to allow a dragon to carry it in their mouth.

"From ancient times, dragons used these to pull the life force from another!"

He laughed again. "You dragons, indeed, are very selfish creatures." He laughed deeply, holding out the crystal to Cynder. She had no time to feel insulted, for she felt the magic emanating from this crystal and she immediately knew what to do. She took it and held it by its gold handle, moving past the Ice King's throne and towards the sleeping guardian. She whispered a strange incarnation, and immediately the Electricity guardian was lifted from his sleeping form and trapped in a diamond of magic. The crystal was being pulled towards this, and she gently released it from her grip and watched with childish amazement as it began to fill up with a purple tone. She sensed this was the magic of the guardian.

Finally, when the process was complete, the guardian again entered a deep sleep, gently drifting down to his icy prison. She lifted the crystal upwards, and within seconds, the diamond of magic disappeared into the cold air. She grinned with delight, feeling finally that she had completed her task. At last, she was no longer needed. The crystal again began to tug from her mouth, and she again released and watched as it attached itself to her iron brace, which clutched around her neck. The runes carved into the metal began to glow with a purple hue. She felt the power just inches from her body, but something inside her told her the power was not hers to take. Instead, she was lifted into the air and began to glow, her eyes turning yellow as she was transported to a new vision.

"Hello Cynder." The all too familiar voice reached her, and she opened her eyes to the strange alien land, with the anguished cries of the whale-like inhabitants and the floating pillars of rock. She turned to the shrine behind her. It was situated in the middle of the largest rock platform, and now, unlike her previous visits, it was flowing with a purple light, however faint, which stretched out in both directions, infinitely into space. The essence of her master. A portal had also appeared, and the distorted voice of Malefor radiated from within. Within the portal appeared another dragon, this one adorned with what appeared to be icy spikes, made up of blue and white. He had a much more serious look upon his face, and she was reminded of a well-mannered upbringing.

"The Ice Guardian, Cynder." He whispered with urgency.

"You must perform the same action with him as you did with the previous Guardian. Bring him here, to this location." She was met with a brief, picturesque view of rolling golden hills, tall mountains and rocky shrines, and an expanse rainforest. Tall Plains.

As the vision began to dim, she cried out to the dark master.

"Wait! What is this place? It is peaceful here…"

The vision wavered, and Malefor's voice had a note in it from which she had never heard, nor expected. It may have been a touch of affection, or perhaps simply amusement at such a question, but nevertheless, he responded.

"Convexity."


	12. Revered Dragoness

Convexity. Convexity. Convexity.

The word replayed again and again in Cynder's mind. She had since returned to her lair in Concurrent Skies, and now simply contemplated how to find the Ice Guardian. She had honestly thought that with the electricity guardian's capture she would finally be respected by the dark master and be through with her tasks. However, it now occurred to her that to be even remotely accepted by such a powerful being she would have to complete many difficult tasks. Her deep sighs reverberated around the dark hallways of her castle. She had become more and more remote from the apes, even those who were considered her servants, and receded further and further into herself. She calculated. She mused. She stood at the tallest of the towers and mediated. She felt strange and continually gazed at her reflection in the huge crystals that grew at the edges of her land, staring at the jewel attached to her trinket which contained the power of Volteer. She briefly wondered how powerful she would become if she took this power for herself, but she was more and more devoted to serving the dark master. Obsessed, even.

There was another battle to be fought against a smaller dragon village, but this village had a strange importance. According to Gaul, this was the location where powerful dragon armor was crafted and enchanted with protection spells. Take this village out, and a major asset to the dragons was cut. As the days leading to the raid grew short, Cynder trained by herself. She had gained 3 more elements to use, even though fire remained her primary fighting element. The first was discovered when Cynder grew angry at an ape that had been lazing around languidly, refusing to do any work. As Cynder screeched at him, a red pulsating energy came from her mouth and hit him. Immediately, it paralyzed him with what Cynder could only describe as fear. After that episode, the ape no longer slacked. The second she discovered after she found an ape servant attempting to steal her collection of precious gems. It was nighttime, and the room was completely dark. Cynder did not want to alert the ape to her presence. Instead, a simmering black shadow escaped from her lips, hovering with a hiss towards the ape. It engulfed the servant, who let out a cry of surprise and later, pain. Cynder would simply tell you the ape was no longer a servant. The third and last element was a sickly green poison that dripped like slime. It burned like acid when it hit its target, and Cynder wasn't exactly sure when she gained it. She liked it the least, because it left an acidic taste in her throat.

Fear, Darkness, and Poison. Along with Wind and Fire, she felt her arsenal complete. The day of the raid was upon them, and she was prepared.

Upon reaching the village, Cynder felt almost disgusted at its humble appearance. A few huts gathered in clusters around a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a large well for water extraction, and a few stone paths led from the well to the huts. Beyond the huts was a small flea market, rather bland and devoid of both merchants and shoppers. However, there were a few strange species selling small trinkets, crystals, weapons and potions. Cynder wondered vaguely where they built and enchanted the armor, as this little village, if it could even be called that, did not seem to be at all significant.

Cynder landed near the outskirts of the village, where the dense forest loomed, untouched. As she advanced towards the flea market, her appearance garnered a few stares. She looked menacing, and she tried to pull up from her core a kindness to shield the anger and hatred in her eyes. She folded her wings and tried to remain as friendly looking as possible. Her emerald eyes finally seemed a touch soft, because a small mole like creature gathered up his courage to speak to her.

"Hello! Welcome to our village. How may I help you?" He bowed deeply to her. She tried not to act surprised and remembered that dragons were revered creatures that protected others.

"Hello." She murmured. "Where can I find… the armory?"

The mole's eyes widened with understanding. He motioned to Cynder to come closer, and she obediently ducked her head to his level so he could whisper something to her.

"Follow the path into the forest. When you reach the cave, tell the keeper the password."

She nodded. "And what's the password?"

The mole squinted, gazing around at the others, as if they didn't know of the secret armory's existence. He finally seemed to deem the area safe to relay the password to Cynder.

"The Purple Dragon."

Cynder moved quickly through the forest. She wanted to get there as fast as possible, because soon the army would descend on the village and she wanted to leave. All she needed was to steal the protection spell and destroy the armor to prevent the village from creating more. She wanted to laugh at how easily the mole trusted her. It seemed even the most frightening looking dragons were respected by species with no power and strength of their own. It was almost pathetic how everyone seemed to rely on dragons. Even she knew the ape army would be nothing without her leadership.

It also seemed that her attack on the previous dragon city had not gone around, or at least hadn't touched the obscure village. Cynder figured this was what they got for being so secretive and thinking their scheme would last. She was glad her plan had worked, and she wasn't sure what she would do if they recognized her as the retched black dragon who had taken away the electricity guardian.

She finally reached the mouth of a huge, expansive cave. Sitting in the middle, looking bored, was a dragon. She could hear him mumbling to himself, something about him being far too regal for such a task of guarding over a silly cave. She recognized him as she came closer, and to her great surprise and delight, realized it was the ice guardian.

His eyes took her in and glimmered with confusion, and he sat up quickly. Cynder said nothing as she advanced towards him. Her mind was swimming. Go through with the plan, or ignore it all and capture the ice guardian? After all, he was right there, and when would an opportunity like this arise again? Meanwhile, the ice guardian was staring at her in shock and disbelief. She supposed some dragons must have heard of her by now, and it was no surprise another guardian would know who took his peer. She grinned.

"The password is The Purple Dragon."

And then she lunged for his throat.


End file.
